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Godin Club

#541
Thanks for the response, Elias. I just returned from vacation.
It turned out the Baggs preamp is not working anymore.
I'll install a volume slider and use an external preamp (probably a MXR M812). Always wanted a preamp with an XLR out in case my stage set-up fails and I need a backup to go to the pa directly.
 
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#543
DuluthDank said:
Godin experts! Do all Godin instruments (guitar or bass) have glossy necks? Or do some have satin? I'm looking at picking up a Godin 6 stringer, but i'm not a big glossy neck person.
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Well, in terms of acoustics, some have satin. I have tragically never been able to play one of their electrics or basses because of being invested in other things. Anyway hopefully someone sees this.
 
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#544
EliasA said:
Well, in terms of acoustics, some have satin. I have tragically never been able to play one of their electrics or basses because of being invested in other things. Anyway hopefully someone sees this.
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If they produce acoustics with satin necks, i think it stands to reason they'd do that on electrics as well. Now I know it may be worth looking further. I didn't care for the glossy neck finish on the two Godin's i've managed to try so far, but I liked everything else about them.
 
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#545
I played and owned a Godin Freeway 5 years ago. It's in my avatar photo.

FB_IMG_1577461983997.jpg
 
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#546
I picked up two Freeway 4 basses today. Very nice instruments! I'm super happy with them. Still in the honeymoon phase, of course, but I think I like the Freeway 4s better than my Shifter 4 Classic. Not that there's anything wrong with the Shifter. But I like the Freeway body shape better.

I tidied up both basses this afternoon and started fine tuning the setup. Not many adjustments were required. Both could use new strings, so I'll hopefully re-string them sometime this week and do a deeper cleaning of them. Now what strings to use on each one... 🤔

tempImageVO0Rhp.png
 
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#550
Thanks, but this preamp is out of production for many years now.
As others have noted, Godin/Baggs were of little help. Bummer.
Maybe some day someone has one for sale or can recommend something similar in size as a replacement without altering the cavity.
 
#555
Hi everyone. I'm new to this Godin forum but I am a long time member of TalkBass. I am looking for some advice. I have 3 Fenders (Precision, Jazz and Kingman) and a 1976 El Degas Precision but my favourite bass (by a fair margin) is my Godin Shifter Classic. I am looking to purchase a used bass and have been debating between the Godin BG4, SD4 and Freeway 4. They are hard to find in music stores so I would appreciate any thoughts on these basses in terms of best fit for a classic rock band. Thank you in advance.
 
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#556
Richard43 said:
Hi everyone. I'm new to this Godin forum but I am a long time member of TalkBass. I am looking for some advice. I have 3 Fenders (Precision, Jazz and Kingman) and a 1976 El Degas Precision but my favourite bass (by a fair margin) is my Godin Shifter Classic. I am looking to purchase a used bass and have been debating between the Godin BG4, SD4 and Freeway 4. They are hard to find in music stores so I would appreciate any thoughts on these basses in terms of best fit for a classic rock band. Thank you in advance.
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I picked up a pair of passive Freeway 4 basses a few months back:
IMG_0779.jpg

Either of these basses would work very nicely in a classic rock context. You'd be able to dial in the tones you need quite easily, whether you just solo the P pickup or blend the P and J. The VVT controls allow for a bit more fine-tuning compared to the 4-way switch on the Shifter Classic.

I also have a Shifter Classic, and I agree that they are lovely instruments. I have come to prefer the Freeway basses though. I like the body shape a bit better than the Shifter's P-bass-like body shape, and I find the Freeways to naturally be a bit punchier. Maybe has something to do with body woods? Shifter has a basswood body whereas these two Freeways are maple/poplar bodies. I dunno.

Any reason why you don't want to play your Shifter in the classic rock band?

I don't have and hands-on experience with a BG4 or SD4. I would love to try one someday if I can ever track one down somewhere in my area.
 
#557
Thanks for the reply. I've read a lot of good things about the Freeway. I do primarily use the Shifter Classic with the band. I'm really just looking for something that is high quality, covers the PBass sound and has a nice feel in my hands. The new Godin would just be there for when I want to play a different but same quality instrument. I've only played 2 Godin's (mine and the only one I have ever seen in a music store) and they just feel more comfortable in my hands. Although my hands are quite large I actually prefer a skinnier, flatter fretboard. I have found an SD, a Freeway and a BG (all used private sales) but they are all 2 hours away from me. This is a retirement gift for myself so I still have a 3 months to look. Thanks again for the pictures and feedback. :)
 
#558
Richard43 said:
Hi everyone. I'm new to this Godin forum but I am a long time member of TalkBass. I am looking for some advice. I have 3 Fenders (Precision, Jazz and Kingman) and a 1976 El Degas Precision but my favourite bass (by a fair margin) is my Godin Shifter Classic. I am looking to purchase a used bass and have been debating between the Godin BG4, SD4 and Freeway 4. They are hard to find in music stores so I would appreciate any thoughts on these basses in terms of best fit for a classic rock band. Thank you in advance.
Click to expand...
The BG4 is amazing! All maple body, the neck is a gem.👍🍁
 

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#560
Does anyone have any experience with LaSiDo necks that were sold as replacement necks for Fender Precisions? I am finding it hard to find any information on these necks. I am primarily interested in the fretboard radius as I am finding the flatter the better.
 

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